Apparatus for feeding the lapping compound to gears



Aug. -28, 1928.

J. H. ROLF APPARATUS FOR FEEDING THE LAPPING COMPOUND TO GEARS Filed Feb. 15, 1926 WN A R O T N E V m ATToRN/L4 Passed Aug. as, 192s.

UNITED STATES. PATENT oi-Fica f JOSEPH H. 3012501' IUNCIE, INDIANA, ASSIGNOR T0 WORKS, 0F BO NEW YORK, A OOBPORATION F NEW YORK.

i AIPABATUS IGR KEEPING THE LAPPING COIPOUNI) GEABS.

Application ,ilcd Iebrnary The present invention relates to lapping machines and` processes and particularly to methods and machines for lapping gears.'

The primary Yobject of this invention is the o an an abrasive. The lapping action produces tooth surfaces which are smooth and highly polished and lapped gears will run together inuse very quietly.

Heernxtofore tiwoenefthods hive beiliiiliost yemPoy Ol'QPP gl'e aP' fzi'en compoundto the rs. iilinone method the apping com und is put on with a brush by hand. In t e other and more usually egiployed method, the lappin compound is to the gears by a chain w 'ch runs over a grooved nut which is secured to one of the gear spindles. The chain dips into a reservoir or basin containing the lapping compound. As the ar spindle rotates the chain moves and -t us carries the compound to the Puttin the lapping compound on by. dwitha ruhishatedbeignus and expensive operationan it as more perally discarded in favor of the chain.

e serious drawback to the method of feeding lg a chain,however, is the tendency of the ain tobecome tangled at times in the gears, which may result in bre of the teeth or even V,more serious damage.

The presentinvention to provide and inexpensive. In the accom anying drawings, I have illustrated a pre erred embodiment of my in- 'on. It: be understood, however,

ave

usually a of an which may be readily controlled and l compressed air said stream up'on thegears is, 192s. serial no. sasso.

that the invention is capable of further mod- I ification within its scope and within the limits of the appended claims,

In the drawings: Fig. 1 is a front elevation, partly in section, showing a pair of gears in lapping position and one embodiment of apparatus constructed according to this invention forefeedin the lapping compound to the gears; and ig. 2 is a sectional -vieW taken at right angles to Fig. 1.v c

' the drawings, 10 and 11 indicate respectively the gear and pinion spindles of a bevel gear lappin machine of an structure. lpoii these spin les are mounted the gear 12- and pinion 13 respectively.` In lapping the gears, the are run together with a lapping compoun surfaces y14 indicates a reservoir or basin, of any suitable structure, such as usually provided on lapping machines of the character described. This reservoir is adapted to conusual suitablev on their contacting y ciinsrna,

tain the lapping compound, indicated at 15,

through which the compound may flow into or be admitted to the conduit. The coiiipressed` air is directed into the conduit through' the pi 18 and nozzle 19. The compressed air last acts to force the'compound into the conduit and through the same onto the gears. The air blasts atomizes the com und to a certain extent so .that by contro the area of the feed passage 17 or by va the air pressure, the amount of compoun spread on the teeth may be controlled. The nozzle 19 is screw-threaded into the cap 20, which threads into an opening in the basin or reservoir 14, and may beadjusted up and down to vary the area of the feedp r Theu per section 2l of the c onduit i referab y beiniade semi-rigid or flexible so at the spray may be directed readily to the desired'portions of the gears [in the drawings, to a point just ahead eiiicient and economical, but it safeguards.

where the gears come into mesh. If desired, a nozzle may be attached to the upper section 21 to concentrate the compound, more readily, on the gears.

The compressed air may be obtained by means of a pump which ma be mounted on a machine or from an aire, with which most factories are ordinarily equipped. To protect the operator from the spray, a guard 22 may be provided,l which is hingcdly connected to the reservoir or basin 14.

To prevent the lapping compound from iowing back into the line 18, when the air is shut oii, a check valve, indicated at 23 may be provided. This valve may be of 'any suitable structure.

The use of compressed air is not only ars and machinery. The embodiment of t e invention illustrated has a further advantage, namely, that by directing the air-blast through the reservoir, the compound is kept constantly stirred up, so that the abrasive particles will not settle to the bottom and so that a lapping compound of uniform consistenc ma be insured.

e I ave illustrated my invention in connection with a articular embodiment, it will be understood capable of further modification within its scope and the limit of the appended'claims, and that this application is intended to cover -any variations, or adaptations of the invention following, in general, the rinciples of the invention and including suc departures from the present disclosure ascome within known or -customary machine shop practise andas may be applied to the essential features hereinbefore set forth and as fall within the limits of the appended claims.

that this invention isl ing said nozzle in said conduitl,1 the lappug lHaving thus described my invention, what I claim is z" 1. In a machine for la ping gears, a pair of spindles upon whic the gears to be lapped are mounted, a reservoir located directly beneath said gears containing a lapping compound com risin a mixture of an abrasive and a liquid m 'um in predetermined proportions, a conduit extending to the vicinity of said gears, said conduit being provided with an aperture below the level of the lappin compound in the reservoir and an air isc rging nozzle extending into the conduit adjacent said aperture whereby said lapping compound is agitated and thereby mixed and conveyed from the reservoir to the gears purely by air pressure returning substantially unaltered to the reservoir.

2. In a gear lap in machine, a pair of spindles upon whic t e gears to be lapped are 'mounted, a reservoir located directly beneath said gears containing a lapping compound com risi a mixture of an abrasive and a liqui medium inpredetermincd proportions, said reservoir being provided with an opening in its bottom, a conduit threaded into said opening, said conduit extending to the vicinity of the to be lapped and being provided wi apertures be ow the level of the lap ing compound in the reservoir, an air disc nozzle threaded into said opening and extendin into said conduit with its discharge end tures in said conduit, and means for adgustcompound being agitated and't ereb mix and conveyed from the reservoir to t e gem purely by air pressure vand returning substantially unaltered to the reservoir.

i JQSEPH H. ROLF.

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